


The Boy Who Cried Wolf

by amusedkoala



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Transformation, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Captain America: The First Avenger, Comic Book Science, Depressed Steve Rogers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grieving, HYDRA are assholes, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Mother Hen Bucky Barnes, Telepathy, Wolf Bucky, Wolf Instincts, brief mention of suicidal thoughts, bucky is a big ass wolf, bucky stops it dont worry, kind of, not really but Steve would rather be dead, sir that is my emotional support wolf, support animal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25025815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusedkoala/pseuds/amusedkoala
Summary: After Sarah dies Steve has nothing, but then someone large and fluffy walks into his life.--basically what i think would happen if Bucky was a wolf that finds Steve after his mother dies and takes care of the little shit through the decades.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	1. A Skinny Blond Walks Into An Alley...

The apartment was cold. It was always cold, but now it was only him. His ma had just passed, he hadn't been able to see her because he would catch sick and die too, so for the past 3 days he was holed up in her bed wrapped in the threadbare blanket that still smelled like her.

The landlady was nice and had let him stay, but there was no way that he could pay rent even if he could get a job and keep from getting sick with every stiff gust of wind that blew his way. His ma didn’t raise a quitter though, so he got up and went out to look for work.

\-----

He had been walking for two hours when he heard it, it was dark out now and he was shivering from the cool fall air, it was a cry of pain and his head immediately whipped toward the noise, it was coming from an alley, and a familiar one at that. He had been beaten up in that one at least 3 times in the last month. Without a second thought, he turned down the alley to see just who he expected, the O'Malley boys beating on some poor kid.

“hey! why don’ you pick on somebody else!” Steve shouted, anger boiled under his skin when they turned and sneered at him

“well, would you look at that. The runt has finally come out of hiding. We thought you gon’ and keeled over with your whore ma.” the taller boy called back. That made Steve see red, no one insulted his ma and got away with it. After the week he had he snapped and launched himself at them. One of his flailing fists caught ‘em right in the kisser and he stumbled before coming back at Steve, who had no chance at winning but wasn't above fighting dirty to get a few hits in that should leave a mark.

As he lay bloodied on the ground and got kicked over and over, he thought of his ma, he would be able to see her soon, at least, and the other kid had run off while the O'Malley’s were occupied with him so that was something. For the first time since his ma died, he let himself cry. It wasn’t the beating or the cold that he was crying over, he had gotten in worse, his tears were happy ones. It was almost over, he just wanted to see his ma again, she gave the best hugs and would always sing him to sleep when he was sick.

Then everything stopped. At first, he thought that he had finally died and he was going to see his ma but then there were streaks of grey and... was that growling? Before the warmest, softest thing he had ever felt curled around his beaten, bruised body as he lost consciousness.

\----

When Steve woke up, he was warm, but a cold gust of wind ruffled his hair and he curled tighter into himself and pressed further back into the wall of warmth surrounding him. He heard a whine and then a tongue licked across his face, he sputtered awake and looked around at where he was. He was still in the alley where he remembers fighting the O'Malley's. He's covered in dirt and crusted blood, his back hurt as well as just about everything else, so when he tried to get up, he just fell back and into a plush warm coat of fur. The owner of said fur licked at his face again and whined to get his attention, Steve focused on the creature and it was a dog.

A big dog.

Their eyes locked, Steve tried to get up again in a sad attempt to get away, but before he could even get his legs under him teeth clamped around his wrist and stopped him, Steve's heart was beating so fast, but the flair of pain he expected never came. It didn’t bite him, it just held onto his arm to keep him from getting up.

“Umm... good doggy, please don’t eat me?” Steve wasn’t sure what to do, but the dog didn’t look impressed by his attempt at conversation. It released his wrist and sat up on its haunches in front of Steve, and Steve saw that he was a boy dog. he looked at Steve again before he got up and circled around Steve while he sniffed all over him, Steve just sat there stunned until he stuck his nose under Steve’s ribs and Steve pushed his head away from him.

“Thank you for saving me, but I don't have any food for you. I'm fine now though and I need to go...” Steve trailed off. He didn’t have anywhere to go to. The apartment was likely gone and so was his ma, he was alone. A whine from the dog brought him out of his head and he looked at the dog who had laid down and placed its head on his paws, big blue-grey eyes stared at him. “well, I don’t really have anywhere to go. Guess you are stuck with me.” The dog's tail thumped against the ground and he nuzzled at Steve’s hand until he ran his fingers through his fur.


	2. Names

He definitely gave the landlady a scare when he came back leaning against a very large dog all covered in blood. She was nice enough to help him into the apartment and fetch the enormous first aid kit from under the sink. All the while the dog trailed after her as if watching her and keeping her from doing anything bad. When she left the dog wandered into the bedroom where Steve was sitting on the side of the lumpy old bed and tending to his wounds.

“I’m pretty sure that animals are not allowed here, but I think Mrs. Brown likes you so you might be able to stay,” his words were followed by a hiss as he pressed some alcohol covered gauze to a large gash on his side, sensing his pain the dog whined and stepped closer to him and rested his large head on Steve's lap. Steve smiled down at the dog that was acting more like a puppy then a wild animal and gently ran his hand between his fluffy ears. “I'm ok, this is nothin’ I've had worse.” that didn’t seem to make the dog feel better, but he sat back on his haunches and watched as Steve finished cleaning and bandaging his wounds.

“see, all better,” Steve closed the first aid kit and opened his arms so that he could be inspected by the other. The dog sniffed Steve all over and then backed off seemingly content with his condition. “glad I meet your standards. I'm gonna use the bathroom and then I need to get some rest.” Steve slowly got up and reached down for the kit when his legs gave out, his arms flailed and he braced to hit the floor, but his arm caught something and he was just able to hold himself up. The dog had pushed into Steve’s side and was holding him up like on the way home, the dog sniffed at Steve again and whined, looking at him just like Sarah Rogers used to when he got sick. “Thanks,” he said, patting his side, “you think you could help me to the bathroom?” the dog replied by taking the kit in its jaw and pressing himself further under Steve's arm.

\--

When Steve woke up the following morning he was sore everywhere but, strange enough he wasn’t cold. He was always cold, especially since his ma died. But, it's not just him anymore, He looks down at where the dog is curled around his lower body, its head is pillowed on his stomach. Steve reaches a hand out and rubs behind the large triangular ears that perk up at the touch, steely blue eyes open and blink at Steve, then he half-crawls up Steve's body to stick his cold wet nose in Steve’s neck, sniffing at him. Steve laughs and pushes him away rubbing at the wet mark left on his neck.

“Well good morning to you too,” Steve pats the dog on the side signaling for him to get down so that he can get up. Together they walk into the small living room and Steve sits on the beaten-up couch.

“I'm guessing that you are hungry,” he pauses, thinking about what he has that could feed a dog, “Think you would like some leftover casserole?” the dog tilts his head and whines at him. “Casserole it is.”

\--

After they have finished eating (turns out dogs do like leftover casserole) Steve starts the job search again. In the end he was lucky enough to get a gig making recruitment posters for the war effort.

Until now Steve hadn't even seen the war in Europe as a blip on his radar with everything that had happened. It was just something that was happening on the other side of the Atlantic but, after working his fingers to the bone on poster after poster he began to be frustrated with his lack of ability to help in any other way.

Whenever he ranted to the dog about this he got mad at Steve and would react one of two ways; he would either give Steve the silent treatment by not sleeping in the bed and growling whenever Steve approached or, he would smother Steve, sometimes literally sitting on him so he wouldn’t go march off and get into trouble, he would follow Steve everywhere when he got like that and he means EVERYWHERE including whining and scratching at the door when Steve finally snuck away to have a piss.

Tonight, it was the latter of the two.

“Hey,” Steve tried to sound placating but from the tilt of the dogs head he didn’t think it was working, “you are going to have to get off of me at some point, you know,” the dog whined and Steve petted between his ears and down his back when, he must have done something different and the dog jolted up. 

Startled by the sudden movement Steve let out a squawk of surprise and promptly fell off of the couch they were lounging on. After processing what just happened Steve started laughing his skinny ass off, and when he looked over at the unamused dog next to him, he doubled over laughing again.

“Well,” he gasped out between chuckles when he could breathe a bit again, “I had been thinking that you need a name for a while now and this has given me the perfect name for you,” Steve paused for dramatic effect and ran his hand down the dogs back to make him jolt again. 

“Bucky.”


	3. A Good Man

Let’s just say that Bucky wasn’t impressed by his new name, but it stuck. Steve kept calling him by it, and eventually he started to respond to it. It was kind of nice to have a name, and Steve was so kind, he could live with a stupid name like Bucky if it meant he could stay with Steve. 

Steve seemed to have no such reservations about leaving Bucky, though, he was always wanting to go and fight in the war. Bucky tried to stop that behavior by not rewarding Steve with his presence or cuddles when he talked about signing up or came home smelling like those disgusting recruitment centers, unfortunately, Bucky had a soft spot for Steve and he always folded, Steve would get sick or he would start shivering in the night and Bucky would go over and share his warmth. It was nice to have a family again; his pack had kicked him out once his father died and his sister got mated off to another alpha who took over the pack. He tried not to think of that now, Steve was his family and he had to take care of him

Steve was late. He was never late, unless he was making trouble or at another one of those damn recruitment centers. After waiting another 5 minutes Bucky nudged the window open and climbed down the fire escape to follow Steve’s scent to wherever he had gotten himself into trouble this time. 

At this point the neighbors didn’t even take a second glance at him, they had at first. But after seeing how he looked after Steve, they began to trust him. Sometimes he would watch after the neighbor children while they played, making sure they didn’t get hurt or run off too far. This time though he was on a mission; find Steve and drag his skinny ass home before he gets into any more trouble.

\--

Steve's scent led to the alley behind another of those damn recruitment offices. Bucky entered the alley ready for a fight, be it with Steve or with whoever thought it right to pick on him but, as he crept closer to the back of the building, he heard muffled sobs, at this he rushed forward. Steve never cries, this must be bad. As he rounds a dumpster, he sees Steve curled up in a ball, his head is tucked into his knees, his weak lungs trying to pull in air and shaking in his small frame. 

Bucky lets out a huff and walks over to Steve, plopping down in front of him with enough force to send the rejection papers on the ground fluttering away and causing Steve to look up at the noise. Tears drip down Steve's shocked face and Bucky leans forward and licks them up, Steve hiccups a laugh and pushes Bucky’s mussel away half-heartedly.

“Sorry Buck, I know you hate when I go off, I just wish I could help. I don’t mean by making those stupid posters, I want to really help, like my Pa did. He was a soldier in the 107th. I never met him because he died protecting his men, but I want to be like him.” Steve rubbed at Bucky’s ears and let his hands rest on the sides of his head as he placed his forehead against Bucky's, as if trying to read his mind, Bucky tried to send strength to Steve through their connection, as he always did, it was a ritual of theirs, whenever Steve needed reassurance or was feeling weak and in need of strength, he would press his head against Bucky’s.

“So, you want to go overseas and kill some Nazis?” Both Steve and Bucky jolt up and get into a position to defend themselves from the newcomer, an older man who is gray and balding and had a pair of round metal glasses perched on his nose, his voice had a German accent to it and he wore a brown jacket with his hat tucked under one arm and a briefcase in the other.

“Excuse me?” Steve asks the strange man, he must have a hell of a look in his face because the man chuckles before introducing himself.

“I'm sorry where are my manners, my name is Dr. Abraham Erskine. Now,” the man pauses and takes a breath “Do you want to go overseas to kill some Nazis?”

“No sir, I don’t want to kill anyone, but I don’t like bullies. Doesn’t matter where they come from.” Steve relaxes his defensive stance and runs a hand through Bucky’s fur to calm his growling down.

“In that case I would like to offer you a chance to help, but only a chance. You have to prove yourself.” Erskine stoops to pick up the papers and opens his briefcase to get a stamp to officiate everything.

Steve hesitates when Erskine holds out the paper to him, Bucky’s fur soft between his fingers, “Only if I can have Bucky here at my side, we come as a set, you don’t get one without the other,” Erskine looks at Bucky with curious eyes. 

“You are a good man Steve Rogers, I'll see what I can do. You have a wonderful friend, you must protect each other and stay together always. I think it’s time the war could use a little guy like you.


	4. rebirth

Bucky led Steve home, leaning the whole way there on Bucky's back. Steve could tell that he was worried but Steve was elated that he finally got his chance. He was going to help, and Bucky would be with him. 

When they finally reached their apartment Steve collapsed onto the couch and fell into deep thought about everything, for the first time since his ma died he felt excited for the future. 

Bucky’s tongue rasping at the palm of his hand where it hung off of the couch brought him back. Steve let out an amused huff and rubbed between Bucky’s ears.

“Im ok, Buck. I just can’t believe that I finally got a chance!” Bucky nudged Steve’s hand and he hopped up between Steve’s legs so he could rest his head on Steve’s stomach while they relaxed on the couch, eventually falling asleep.

\--

About a week later there was a letter for him from the Doctor who stamped his forms, it told him to go to an address and to bring one suitcase for himself and Bucky along. 

Steve didn’t have much to pack, he put all his clothes in the worn leather suitcase that sat under his bed and then he packed his mother’s favorite blue and white dress as well as the handmade quilt she had made him of old scraps and fabrics she could find during a rather long and harsh winter. 

Steve dragged the suitcase to the door where Bucky was waiting for him, Steve could have sworn that he saw Bucky’s eyes roll at him. He stood up off of his haunches stretching before he pushed his shoulder into the side of the suitcase and leveraged it up onto his back.

“Are you sure Buck?” Bucky rolled his eyes again. Steve bent down and unlatched the extra straps that held the case together and looped the first one around Bucky’s neck and then the back one around his body. The lock on the top kept the opening closed so the straps were more for decoration than anything else. Steve took a step back to look at his work.

Bucky tilted his head as Steve stared at him but he patiently waited. To Steve it looked kind of like Bucky was wearing a backpack and for some reason that was very funny to him, he made sure to steel his face though because Bucky was helping him and it would be mean to laugh at him.

Steve did one last look around the appartment to make sure that he didn’t leave anything. He was glad that he did because he found his mother's necklace, only a small silver chain but on it were both her and his father's wedding rings. He quickly snatched it up and slipped it around his neck. He ran a finger over both of the bands and tucked them into his shirt, Right over his heart.

\--

When he arrived at the address a car pulled up and a beautiful woman with bright red lipstick was in the back. She took one look at him and then to Bucky and told them to get in. the driver came around and Steve unlatched the suitcase from Bucky so the driver could put it up as Steve and Bucky crawled into the back with the woman. She introduced herself as Peggy Carter, she has a british accent and Steve likes her off the bat, but Bucky seems to be neutral about her so Steve stays on the fence until he has more information.

She tells them that they are going to camp lehigh for training and tests to see if he is fit for the job. When they arrive Erskine is waiting for them, he gives Bucky a pat on the head and leads Steve over to his room.

It is very small and has a single small cot in the room and a chair with a nightstand. Bucky immediately goes sniffing in every corner of the room. They both watch him until he seems satisfied and hops onto the cot curling up and resting his head on his paws.

Erskine laughs and tells them to get settled in, there is training early tomorrow. He will come and get them with Steve’s uniform in the morning.

Steve starts to unpack the first thing he pulls out is the quilt, he throws it over the cot, Bucky and all, and watches at the lump that is Bucky as it moves around before finally sticking his head out of the quit with a indigant look on his face. Steve laughs and gives Bucky a good scratch under his chin for his troubles before he goes back to unpacking.

It is dark by the time he is settled in, he slips under the quilt with Bucky laying at his side, his head in its usual place on Steve’s stomach and his tail curled by Steve's feet as they drift off into sleep.

\--

When Steve ran to the dummy grenade Bucky had been watching. He ran up, grabbed Steve by the back of his collar, pivoted around while kicking the grenade with his powerful hind legs about 50 ft away before carrying/dragging Steve back to the building and checking him for injuries.

Everybody just stared at the grenade laying next to a tree and then to where Bucky was in a protective curl around Steve, who still looked startled. and asked if that was a test.

\--

Bucky did NOT like the big metal coffin that they put Steve into. They had to put a harness on him and tie him to one of the metal desks to keep him from dragging Steve away into the corner and growling at anyone that came within a 5 foot radius of them.

“It's ok, Buck.” Steve smiled at Bucky and patted his head as he passed him on his way to the machine, Bucky took Steve’s hand in his mouth, not biting, just holding him there. Steve crouched down and looked into those icy blue eyes. “Hey, I'm going to be fine. I can’t do anything Stupid because i’m leaving all of it with you. ok?” Bucky released Steve's hand and gave him a slobbery kiss on the face and sat next to the desk without trying to break the leash as Steve walked away.

Bucky was sitting on the floor connected to the desk Howard Stark was working at. Bucky didn’t exactly like Howard but he respected his genius and endured his presence if he had to. 

When they started the machine the lights flickered and a large whirring sound filled the room, with Bucky's ears he could hear every movement that Steve made inside the metal, he shifted around at first, likely nervous energy and then the screaming began.

Bucky -to put it nicely- went ape-shit. 

Everyone was fluttering around doing a million things and paid little attention to Bucky pulling at the leash stretching it as far as he could while tied to the bolted down desk. Howard was yelling to ‘shut it down!’ but then Steve screamed out again, this time actual words. Through the pain he was enduring he told them to continue.

Bucky stopped pulling for a second but didn’t sit again, he stood and paced, pulling the leash to as far as it would go but not trying to break it.

They continued to the second step, the vita rays.

It seemed like the machine was overheating or something because huge amounts of smoke were coming out at the seams, the lights flickered and then went out, everyone was still and then a gunshot rang out. And Bucky was gone.

He reached around, teeth dug into the leather of the leash and snapped it in two before he leaped across the room, ripped the cords from the machine and clawed it open. Steve tumbled out and Bucky dragged him away into the corner.

Steve had no shirt on this time to pull him away with. Bucky instead bit into Steve’s shoulder and hulled him away by his collarbone. The iron taste of blood filled his mouth as he pulled Steve, it was much harder this time. He then realized that he was biting into muscle, too much muscle, even for Steve’s entire body. 

It worked. Steve was big.

It all happened in a fraction of a second.

When the lights blinked on everyone was in various states of disarray, the main point being Dr. Erskine in the middle of the room being pointed at with a gun. Steve’s eyes blinked open and immediately locked onto the weapon and the man holding it. He got up by lifting Bucky off of him (actually LIFTED him) when the man saw the movement he startled and pulled the trigger. Then both Steve and the man were running and everyone was left behind, including Bucky. 

Bucky trusted Steve and his new body to deal with the man. He trotted over to Erskine and licked at his hand. He had always trusted Erskine, almost as much as he trusted Steve. He really liked the man and it hurt to see him like this. Erskine lifted his hand and dropped it on Bucky’s head, scratching between his large fluffy ears. Bucky laid down next to him and set his head down on his chest, not caring that he set his muzzle in a growing pool of blood. 

“You are a good dog, you have the soul of a human and the smarts of a soldier, don't let anyone take that from you and make sure you take care of Steve, even with the serum we both know that he will get into more trouble than he can handle.” He closed his eyes and pet Bucky as his heart rate slowed and eventually the hand in Bucky’s fur stilled. Bucky whined and nudged Erskine's cheek with his nose even though he knew that the man was gone. 

Bucky got up and checked on the rest of the people in the room, some were dead but most survived. The explosion from the machine opening had just knocked them out. Bucky made sure that both Peggy and Howard were alright first, he knew what they meant to Steve. 

First he went to Howard, he heard a heartbeat and then went to peggy, she was alive as well. Bucky needed some help so he placed his paws on each of her shoulders and sniffed all over her face and neck, making sure to stick his cold nose into her warm skin. Peggy spluttered awake and pushed Bucky off of her, after she let him give her some celebratory sniffs, she got up with a scratch to his chest. 

Peggy stood, pulled her gun out, sweeping the room before dropping down to the nearest body and took a pulse. As she continued this Bucky moved to Erskine’s side again he laid down and placed his head on his chest like he had before. He watched as Peggy made a circuit around the room and then he whined to get her attention when she finished.

Peggy’s head popped up and looked at him, her eyes softened when she saw him, looking miserable with his head propped up on a deadmans chest and covered in blood.

“Aww, Bucky” she soothed as she made her way over and sat next to him, idly rubbing his head.

All of the sudden she sat up straight and gasped. Bucky’s ears perked up at the sudden movement and he watched her with eagle eyes.

“Where is Steve?!” her voice was frantic and she was looking around the room to try and see him. Bucky took her hand in his mouth just like he had Steve’s and got up. He let go and she got up as well. He turned and left, confident that she would follow him.

Bucky tracked Steve to a dock where he was crouching over the body of the shooter, there was foam coming out of his mouth and Steve’s hand was clenched in the guy’s coat.

Bucky stepped forward and nosed at the back of Steve’s arm. When Steve finally realized that it was Bucky next to him Bucky started his normal inventory of Steve. He checked and everything was fine and then he came to the bite mark on Steve’s neck. It was pink and puffy with new skin already healing over it. Bucky licked at it until Steve laughed and pushed him away. Steve drew his hand back and saw blood, Bucky could practically see Steve’s brain working and he knew exactly what he was thinking. Bucky sat down on his haunches, laid on the ground and then rolled over. It was their universal sign for ‘i’m ok’ or ‘lets play’. Unfortunately Bucky hadn't taken the ledge to the water into question for his roll and he tumbled right off into the water with a yelp and a splash.

Bucky was kind of happy that he got the blood off of him and that Steve was smiling again but that was where the advantages of rolling himself off of the dock ended. Bucky doggy paddled his way to a shallow part of the water where Steve could hoist him up onto the street again, Steve and Peggy were both almost crying with laughter. Bucky made sure to catch Steve’s eye before he gave him that mischievous grin that meant trouble. Bucky saw Steve’s face fall.

“NO!-Ack. aww, Bucky!” Bucky took the moment that Steve was crouched next to him and unable to get out of the splash zone in time to shake the water out of his coat.

plash zone in time to shake the water out of his coat.


	5. Give It Up For Captain America

At first it was feelings, Steve could tell when Bucky was hungry (always) or when he was amused or bored or scared. The fact that he could sense what was happening to Bucky gave him some peace. 

After Erskine died Steve and Bucky were separated, without someone who had leverage like Erskine, Steve was sent parading around the country in spandex and Bucky was sent to the frontlines to be a sniffer dog.

There was usually an undercurrent for fear that he could feel from Bucky, he was at war after all. Regardless, normally there was something else that Bucky felt but for the past few days fear had been the major feeling that he got from Bucky.

He wouldn’t have noticed it if he wasn’t focusing on Bucky as he was seated in a plane that was taking him to the front lines to do a show for the soldiers. The closer they got to landing the stronger and clearer the feelings from Bucky were.

The second they landed Steve went out looking for someone to talk to and he ran right into Peggy.

“Steve? What are you doing here?” she was worried, he could tell and something bad was happening to Bucky, so he took her shoulders in his hands and looked her in the eyes.

“Bucky is hurt, where is he?” Peggy's eyes softened and her face fell.

“Steve… why don’t you come to my tent and sit down, i'll tell you what happened.” he nodded and followed her into the tent. It was small and had a cot with a small desk and a chair, she motioned for him to take the chair and she sat on the cot. She took a deep breath before telling him what happened.

\--

It was a suicide mission, he knew it but he couldn’t live without Bucky. He had been dropped behind enemy lines by Howard Stark and now he was running through a forest with the prop shield on his back and a uso helmet covering his hair. The feelings from Bucky got stronger with every step he took. He feels the burning in his shoulder, needles in his stomach, blunt pressure and a boot breaking his ribs. Steve stumbles as the waves of pain crash through him, it feels like his ribs are cutting into his lungs with every breath. His breathing is much heavier than it normally is, even with his running, he coughed a few times and struggled back to his feet, soldiering on.

\--

The building came into view not long after the pain dulled and Bucky’s presence in the back of his head lessened, it terrified Steve, he was going to lose the only reason he survived all that time without his mother- ‘No. Steve, snap out of it. This is no time to wallow in self pity, Bucky needs you.’

He watched as a couple guards passed and then moved in, pushing deeper into the building and following the faint feeling of bucky as it pulsed in his mind. He tried to send warm feelings of home and safety towards bucky but he had no way of knowing if it worked. 

He pushed his way into a dank room that was outfitted with large cages, holding lots of men, the men from Bucky's unit. Steve rushed in and started breaking locks. 

“Has anyone seen a big ass sniffer dog? He goes by Bucky.” a large man with a bushy mustache and a bowler hat walked up to him. 

“They took him for testing a few days ago, they took all the sniffers and then they started taking men. None of them came back, but for what it's worth the lab is down that way, you might be able to find him and bring him home.” the man gave him a sad smile and clapped Steve on the shoulder pointing to a pair of double doors on the other side of the cages. Steve nodded and thanked the man.

“Get the men out and take as many of them out with you as you go, then rig the place to blow.” the man nodded and then turned to the crowd of soldiers and relayed the information, which was translated into a few different languages.

Steve ran to the doors and pushed his way through, surprising two guards further down the hallway, he reached behind him and took the shield off his back. Pushing down the hall at super speeds and running into them like a battering ram, forcing them to crash against the wall. He watched as they slumped and did not move before he was through the next set of doors.

He entered the room and immediately realized that this was the lab. There were bloodied instruments and contraptions all around, but the worst was the smell. In the back of the area was a cache of cages with dead...things in them, he couldn't make out if they were human or not but he didn’t want to get close enough to tell. 

A whine brings him out of his appraisal of the room, head jerking toward an attached room with plastic strips dividing the areas. He rushes through and immediately sees Bucky. 

The room was smaller than the other area just large enough to fit a metal table and some room to work around it. Bucky lays on his side facing away from Steve, his breathing is heavy and he clearly is in pain. Steve walks around to the other side of the table and gasps at the horror of what they did to bucky. The table is covered in blood and the origin is Bucky’s entire left side. His front left leg is gone and in its place is a cruel prosthetic if it can even be called that, it is more like a bear trap with a metal pole coming out of the other side where it is not clamped into Bucky's sluggish bleeding flesh.

Steve leans down by the table and pressed his forehead to the top of Bucky's head, icy grey eyes open and he whines again when he sees who is here, his tail thudds against the metal a few times and then his pink tongue flicks out and licks at Steve's nose.

“Hey Buck, let's get you out of here.” another whine but this time it is less painful and more happy. Steve moves around the table again so Bucky's back is facing him and then works his arms under his bulk. Bucky only cries out in pain a few times as Steve settles the furry weight against his body and then strides out of the lab.

\--

When he gets outside the building he is greeted with the sight of the men he freed all wreaking havoc on the hydra soldiers around them. They have taken most of the jeeps and tanks and now it's just straggling soldiers getting chased out of their hiding spaces and shot at with the stolen, glowing blue guns. Steve spots the man that he talked to before standing by a jeep to the left, he walks over and places bucky gentilly in the back before pulling a tarp over his body.

“Everyone alive is out and the charges are set, just taking care of a few stragglers. The big guys did get away, but we didn’t have the manpower to chase after them.” the man smiled as he handed a detonation device to Steve. “Care to do the honors captain?” Steve nodded and then sat in the back of the jeep with Bucky's head pillowed on his lap. The men were rounded up and they started to move out. Once they were a reasonable distance away Steve pressed the button and watched it all burn.


	6. Best Friends, From The Playground To The Battlefield

Bucky rode the rest of the way to camp in the back of the jeep, unable to put pressure on the improvised leg/bear trap. Steve however was Captain America so he had to lead the way, even though it killed him to leave bucky he could feel calm coming from him in his mind.

The camp was a 3 day journey on foot, they had vehicles to transport the more injured of soldiers but they still made decent time. Steve slept sitting up at the base of a tall tree next to where the jeep with Bucky in it was parked.

By the time they made it to camp, the area around Bucky's leg had healed enough that he limped next to Steve at the front of the group when they walked into the clearing. 

Peggy was there waiting for them, her arms crossed over her chest but a small smirk on her face telling them that she wasn’t all that mad. The men around him spread out, helping injured to first aid tents and other’s off to their bedrolls for some well deserved rest. A rather large group of foreign soldiers from other units stood around the captain, waiting for orders. He looked to Peggy for help and she just sighed a breath before walking into the frey of soldiers.

“Colonel Phillips wants you for debrief, Captain.” her hand on his shoulder as she passed. She also rubbed a hand over Bucky’s head. “Good to have you back, Bucky. Have Steve take you to Howard after and have him look at that leg.” Bucky pushed his head into her palm in agreement and then she was gone, calling out orders in multiple languages for the gathered men.

\--

The debrief with colonel Phillips was less of a debrief and more of a scolding. Steve felt like a kid again getting his knuckles rapt with a ruler for daydreaming in class again. Bucky was having the time of his life, amusement coming off him in waves from where he sat at Steve’s feet while he got chewed out.

“All due respect sir, it was a solo mission that went successfully and I am not even a soldier, just a dancing monkey. Even with the chance of my failure there was no repercussion on you or the army and by succeeding i brought back over 200 men.” Steve paused for a moment, contemplating how far he wanted to push this man with his ‘insolence’. “Now, if you excuse me, Bucky is injured and needs his leg looked at. I will talk further with you later, while I was in the base I was able to collect some information on HYDRA. Good night, Sir.” Steve knelt down and scoped Bucky into his arms, turned, and left the tent. 

\--

About half way to Howard, Bucky tried to shift and wiggle out of Steve’s grip. 

“I know you can walk on your own but I also know that it hurts you.” Bucky looked up at Steve with an annoyed look. “I know, but please just let me do this for you?” Steve took a shuddering breath and gently squeezed bucky closer into his chest, and said, softer this time, “I almost lost you today Buck.” Bucky held contact with Steve's eyes for a second and then licked his nose and cheek in reassurance, and telling Steve that he was ok. Bucky sent feelings of kindness and love all the way to Howard.

\--

Howard had a room in the building that housed the generals and debriefing rooms. 

“Steve you made it back, and I see you have Bucky with you.” The man called to him as he walked in, Howard put down the object he was working on and made his way over. “Now, what can I do for you?”

“Well, HYDRA had Bucky and was experimenting on him. They messed with his arm and I was wondering if you could do something for it, it looks rather crude and I know it is causing him pain.” Steve moves over to a worktable that is mostly clear and places Bucky on top of it, allowing Howard his first look at the leg.

He made a sound Steve couldn't quite name but ‘wounded’ was close. 

“I can definitely do better than that glorified toaster they have jerry rigged, but I need to look at it, the hardest part will be where it attaches to his body,” Steve nodded, understanding what Howard wasn’t saying. ‘Its gonna hurt him, and i don’t know if i can undo what they have done without causing more damage’. Bucky let out a low whine and Steve moved closer to him, walking around the table and standing at his back.

“I can hold him and keep him calm while you look, I want him to at least be out of pain for now.”

“That i can do, just make sure i have all my fingers at the end of this or else you might not be getting the new suit i am making you.” Bucky yawned, showing his large teeth and then let his tongue hang out of his mouth. Howard laughed and then got to work, asking Steve to move Bucky this way and that, running his hands over the metal and looking at the mechanisms. 

After a while Howard stopped his prodding and took a step back from the table. He had a pained look on his face and Steve could tell that he wasn’t going to like the words that were going to come out of his mouth.

“I found the release mechanism, but with the way they have it attached to his body,” the Fucking bear-trap in his shoulder Steve completed for him in his mind, “it is going to hurt and there will probably be a lot of blood from the wounds. I need it to heal first before i can attach anything else i make though so this is going to have to happen. On the bright side it will probably help with pain long term, but it will hurt like a Mother when it comes off though.” Steve ran his hands over Bucky's ears, giving them a scratch. Bucky looked at him and turned his head, taking Steve’s wrist in his mouth for a second, then releasing it and giving it a lick.

“I think that was a yes. What do you need me to do?”

“First we need to have something ready for when it comes off, he will need medical attention to close up the wounds.” Howard went to another table and grabbed a two way radio. He called a nurse and then they waited for her to come.

A little while later a woman came in, she had her rich black hair rolled around her head, and balanced atop was a small white nurse cap. she walked into the room with a large bag of supplies, and must have been expecting something weird when Howard called because she didn’t show any shock at Bucky.

“Hello Betty, we are going to be removing this piece of metal from Bucky here, and we will need your help with the injury underneath.” She nodded and put the bag down next to Bucky's head and started digging through it.

“Could I look at it before it comes off so i know what to prepare?” Steve nodded and Howard moved to the side so she had some room to work. She expertly pushed Bucky’s fur out of the way and inspected the flesh around the metal. she pulled a pair of scissors out of her bag and sheared the fur away to make the shoulder accessible.

Once she was done she moved back to her bag and took out a few towels, a suture kit, some gauze and a couple bottles of creams. Once she finished she turned back to Howard. “I need a bowl of sterilized water to flush the area before I can begin.” Howard walked away and returned with a large canteen with a long pointed spout. She took the canteen, used it to wet a part of one of the towels and then nodded.

The process was easier that Steve was expecting. There was a clamp on the base of the bear trap part of the arm that when released, allowed the teeth to be opened and the arm removed. Howard took the arm to the other side of the room to work on and Betty took his place. She wrapped Bucky’s shoulder with the towel and told Steve to put pressure on it, while she threaded the needle.

When told, Steve released the towel and Betty took it off, replacing it with another clean towel, this time under Bucky’s shoulder on the table, she inspected the sluggishly bleeding wounds and then took the canteen to flush the wound. When she was done flushing the wound she replaced the towel once more and prepared to stitch the wounds closed.

Once the stitches were done she took the cream and gently rubbed it on Bucky's wounds and around the stitches, then she placed gauze over it and finished by wrapping half of Bucky's torso to hold everything in place.

As she was cleaning up Bucky started inspecting what she did, nosing at the gauze and wrapped shoulder. 

“Don’t let him mess with it too much, if he does i'll have to redo everything and we don't want it to get infected. It should be good for now, but come and see me in a few days so i can make sure it is healing correctly.” Steve thanked her and she left.

He looked over to Howard but he was already elbows deep in the arm and muttering to himself the entire time. Steve decided to let the man work, so he picked Bucky up and started the walk to his tent. Happy that he had it all to himself and could share his bedroll with Bucky and not get any funny looks.

nd not get any funny looks.


	7. The Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys its been a while. I've been having trouble thinking of how i want to get this story where it should go but i am going on vacation so i knew i needed t get a chapter out because i wont be able to write for a while so i hope you enjoy!

When they woke up Steve set out and gathered a motley crew of men who he worked with at Azzano. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

Bucky did the recon and they used his howl as a call sign, gaining them the name Howling Commandos. 

Soon enough just the sound of Bucky’s eerie howl could scare off a good portion of enemy forces before they even got to the site. It was exhilarating, Steve would run into the fray with Bucky at his side, always right next to him.

\--

“Hey, Cap.” DumDum called one night after a particularly bloody fight. “I think Sarge there needs a bath.” Dugan jabs a thumb over his shoulder to where Bucky lifts his head from licking his bloodied fur, tongue still sticking out and a shocked expression on his face. Steve shorts at the glare Bucky aims at DumDum's back and gets up from where he's sitting. 

Hands on his hips like a disgruntled mother Steve stares down at Bucky and raises an eyebrow. Bucky lets out a low growling and digs his feet in the dirt. Sighing, Steve bends down and hefts the very large wolf over his shoulder. Quite a feat when said wolf is scrabbling for purchase not expecting to be picked up with such ease. 

“Come on Buck, we both need a proper washing.” Bucky's somber yips and growls trail after them, making the men laugh as they make their way to a nearby stream to wash.

\--

It's nearly a year later when they get word of Zola, the scientist that tortured Bucky. Bucky growls when Colonel Phillips reports on his last known location.

“From what our source says Zola and Schmidt will be on a train in the alps two days from now, we need to get a team on that train and stop them before they reach the next base.” Steve nods, giving Bucky one last reassuring squeeze and follows the Colonel to plan out the mission.

\--

The wind whips Snow into their faces as they prepare the zip-line. Bucky has on a modified blue jacket (designed by one Howard Stark) that can hold weapons and keep him warm in the subzero weather as well as acting as a harness that clips to Steve's belt so they can jump together. 

“We have only a few seconds to jump, any later and we miss our ride.” Steve nods and clips his belt to Bucky's harness.

“Think this will be any worse than the Cyclone at Coney Island?” The commandos all give a chuckle and then Steve is jumping. 

Bucky’s legs grab at open air and then Steve is pulling him into his arms. Steve unclips him moments before he drops onto the train himself and they roll once before ducking into a vent on the top of the compartment.

Steve takes his shield off his back and creeps forward, they burst into one compartment after another, taking down the few goons and passengers on the train. The next compartment holds their target, a loud growl is what brings their notice and then a thick German accent fills the room.

“Ah, Heir Rogers. So good of you to meet us, just in time for our latest invention.” a grin cracks over Schmidt's face and then he is pulling it off, his face that is. “You see, the serum gave me a gift as well. It may not be size and strength like you but my gift has allowed me to see. I have seen the endgame, Heir Rogers. Join me and you too will see.”

“Somehow I think our ideologies clash too much, Schmidt. I am going to have to decline.” Steve swings his shield at Schmidt who gets knocked over and falls onto the console of a machine behind the scientist, and it starts to pulse eerie blue light.

“No! Ze weapon! It's overloading.” Zola cries out and starts frantically tapping at buttons. Schmidt pushes him aside and slams his hand down in the center of the console. A compartment comes open on the side and the blue light ceases from the machine, now it is coming solely from the crack in the hull.

“You see captain, the serum may have given you power, but this is what will give me power.” Schmidt sticks his hand in the machine and pulls out a blue cube. 

Wasting no time Steve knocks it out of his hand and it falls to the floor. Schmidt dives for it and Steve does as well.

While Steve takes Schmidt, Bucky launches himself at Zola. He stands over the man, his teeth bared to the one who caused him so much pain. He uses his metal claws to dig into the man's arm. The acrid smell of fear and urine fills his nose and then the metallic taste of blood is in his mouth. Zola is no more.

“Nein!” Schmidt's voice brings Bucky's attention back to Steve. The cube teeters on the edge of the train compartment, its door having been ripped off in the fight. 

Bucky jumps in front of Schmidt and kicks the cube off the ledge and out of the train. Schmidt follows but grabs Bucky's tail and pulls him down. A pained yip is all Steve hears before he jumps after them. Grabbing Bucky midair and using his momentum to throw him back on the train.

When Bucky looks back Steve is gone.


	8. The Lone Wolf

Cold, that was all he knew.

Cold.

And pain.

Pain.

\--

It had been years since the war ended. With Red Skull and Zola gone the remaining hydra bases easily crumbled under the Howlies, minus one Captain America.

During that time Howard Stark worked more closely with the group than he had before, and when the war ended he took Bucky back to the States with him.

Bucky lived a few years with the inventor, helping where he could and staying out of the way where he couldn’t. 

It was a simple existence that allowed him to continue, even with the frozen corner of his brain that one radiated with warmth and  _ Steve _ .

In the late 50’s Bucky decided to go out on his own for a while, try to be himself again. (even if there was no him without Steve). He was back in the wild, relying on instinct and instinct alone in the wilderness of upstate New York and Canada. Though every winter he returned to that familiar sight of the mansion. He could no longer bear the cold and snow, feeling like it was consuming him from the inside out.

\--

One winter when Bucky returned there was a new smell in the house. It was floral and milky.  _ Pregnant _ , his memory supplied. 

He trotted up the back of the house to the overhang area that was built for him to dry off in before coming inside. After one winter when he walked in covered in snow, once it melted he shook and covered the room nearly giving Jarvis a heart attack.

Under the lip to the dog door was a soft rug, emblazoned with the words ‘ _ wipe your paws’  _ Bucky huffed but did just that and entered the warmth.

One of the most difficult things about the cold was the metal arm, and while Howard upgraded it almost every winter he could not stop the metal from saping the heat from his shoulder when he treks in foot deep snow.

And although Bucky assumed that Jarvis held a grudge about his wallpaper he always set out a pile of blankets in front of the fireplace when the weather got cold so when Bucky arrived he could warm up.

The wolf lumbered over to the nest of blankets and stepped into their plush warmth, he turned around twice and settled down, instantly asleep.

\--

Bucky woke to beautiful singing, the words were unknown to him but then he realized they were Italian. His tail thudded against the soft carpet and he stretched to see who was singing.

A woman with beautiful chocolate hair and matching whisky eyes looked back at him and trailed off her song. One hand lay across her stomach which was large with child.

“You are awake, I will get Howard.” She tried to pull herself up but had trouble with the extra weight. Bucky got up and approached her, slowly in case she was fearful of a full grown wolf coming to her but she didn't flinch at his sudden appearance at her side. He inspected her stomach and she even allowed him to sniff the area, then he helped her up. She kept a hand in the fur at his nape as they walked to the workshop that Howard spent most his time in.

“Howard, your friend is here.” there was a clang and some cursing before the graying man rolled out from under a car. His hair sticking up and grease all over his hands, a smile broke across his face when he saw Bucky.

“Ah Bucky, how is that arm holding up for you? Wrestle any bears while you were doing your lone wolf thing?” Maria moved over and pecked Howard on the cheek then made her way toward the doors, giving Bucky a scratch on the head as she passed. 

“Ill let you boys catch up for a little bit but Jarvis will have dinner ready soon. So make sure you are cleaned up by then.”

\--

Bucky raised one furry eyebrow at Howard from his place on top of the metal table while the man worked on his arm.

“Yeah, I settled down. Maria is great, i met her on a business trip to Italy. We got married once we got the news, I actually fainted when she told me,” he laughed and Bucky chuffed at the man. “Even though It was fast, I love her.” bucky grinned and let his tongue hang out of his mouth, he licked a stripe up the inventor's face and let out a little yip of triumph when he pushed away sputtering and wiping his face.

“Ugh, is this your way of getting me to shower for dinner? I bet you can smell Jarvis on his way down to chew me out. You bucky are a master of manipulation, you fit right in here.” he called the last part over his shoulder as he walked to the other room where he washed up.

\--

In his many months away from the mansion Bucky hunted for himself and while he did fairly well on his own there was nothing like Jarvis’s roast turkey. He was practically drooling by the time they made it to the dining room. A large bowl sat by the side of the table with an entire fowl inside just for him. He had manners though so he sat down behind his bowl and waited for everyone else to eat before he dug in. once Howard cut the first slice he pounced. He heard laughter but was too absorbed in the mouth watering taste of a home cooked meal.

\--

After the meal they moved to the living area where a fire was lit. Maria was laying across the sofa with her feet in Howard's lap where he was rubbing them. Bucky was sat on the floor sitting up and had his muzzle rested on her stomach. Listening to the small being inside.

“Looks like bucky here is gonna be a great babysitter.” Howard laughed softly and maria gave him a disapproving smile. “What? I bet he knows more about the kid then we do, can hear them moving or smell what they are doing. Bucky, one bark for girl and two for a Boy.” maria laughed at her husbands antics but was cut off by two loud barks echo through the high ceiling room.

All eyes turn to look at Bucky, his tongue hanging out and head cocked to the side.

“Holy Shit! Wait, Wait. OK, bark once for yes and two for no. can you understand me?”

Bark

“Am i gonna have a Son?”

Bark

“Am I a genius?”

Bark bark.

“Well I guess that answers that.”


	9. Guardian wolf

Usually when the weather warmed in the spring Bucky left the Stark mansion, but this year was different. He stayed through the warming, and the other residents didn't tell him otherwise. 

Bucky, of course, being the gentlewolf he was, wouldn’t stay without paying his share. And while some may say that a wolf couldn't pay their way, he proved them wrong.

Jarvis nearly jumped out of his socks when Bucky came dragging two large deer with him one evening after he had left earlier in the day. The Starks always ate the abundant meat that Bucky hunted and Jarvis found unending ways to prepare it.

Bucky didn’t only help with food. When he wasn’t hunting he could almost always be found in one of two places, in the lab letting Howard mess around with updating his leg, or following Maria like a pup, helping her walk and fetching her things when she asked.

Bucky now had a permanent nest set up in front of the fireplace. It seemed always lit and filled with wood. Crackling, lending warmth and a soft glow to the room.

\--

It was late May when it happened, Bucky smelled the destress before he heard anything.

He had been lounging in his nest, gnawing on a large femur bone. Jarvis was out shopping and Howard was off making a business deal or something. 

Bucky jumped up and rushed to the bedroom where the scent was coming from. Maria was barely standing, holding on to the bedpost and a puddle was forming between her legs. 

He rushed to her side and guided her to the phone, her hand rhythmically clenching in his fur with every contraction. 

“Jarvis?! Jarvis, the baby is coming! I need you here now!” the sentence trailed off into a groan as another wave of pain took over her. She dropped the phone and held on to Bucky as she rode out the pain. “Bed, take me to the bed please.” she slumped more and Bucky shouldered the weight, moving them to the bed and pushing her up as best he could.

She began shuffling around and he was confused until he noticed that she was trying to get her underthings off. She was in a dress so she didn’t have much she needed to take off but they got caught on her legs and she was exhausted already.

“Help, please.” Bucky shook himself and crawled up on the bed, Gentilly he took the waist of the fabric in his mouth and tugged them off. “Thank you, such good, boy. Glad I have you here”

The contractions were getting closer and closer together. Bucky knew what that meant. He only had watched the birth of his sister, and he knew that humans and wolves were different but they couldn’t be that different.

Bucky jumped down and ran to the nursery, grabbing the baby blanket hanging off the crib he sprinted back to the bedroom just in time for the screaming to start.

\--

By the time Jarvis arrived Maria was crowning, Bucky was behind her back propping her up, the blanket dropped on the bed by her knees and a hand clenching his metal leg.

“Oh, Dear!” is all Jarvis said before he rushed over and coached Maria through the birth. Bucky put his muzzle over her shoulder and licked the tears off her face. There was one more large push and then a cry broke through the room. Jarvis swaddled the baby in the blanket and handed him to Maria.

The red faced screaming child quieted in her arms, Bucky shifted and nosed at the newborn curiously for a moment, until he deemed him ok and licked him on the face. A chubby arm reached out and caught his nose, tiny fingers curling around. Maria laughed and took the child's hand off of Bucky, running her hand over chocolate tufts of hair and humming the same melody she sang to Bucky that first day.

“Anthony, his name is Anthony.”

\--

Bucky stayed as the child grew, Anthony was extremely smart and curious. ‘Curiosity killed the cat’ as they say, and Bucky was beginning to think it would kill the wolf too when Tony started to toddle. 

As Tony grew Bucky noticed that Howard grew mean, he drank and worked and did little else. When he got like that Bucky made sure to herd Tony away from his father. Maria was a little better, she taught Tony the piano and was kind but distant in the way Bucky had seen too many times before. 

Jarvis though, Jarvis was always there for Tony. Bucky worked together with the man to raise Tony as best they could. Jarvis gave support as he could and Bucky always being by his side, protecting him from dangers.

At the age of seven Tony was shipped off to his first boarding school, having fast tracked his way into the 8th grade he got picked on a lot. Bucky upheld his promise to Jarvis the day that Tony left the Stark Mansion. He would watch over him always. Be a ghost, not noticed but always there. 

Bucky knew that he didn’t fit into the human world anymore. His last charge was gone, he could only hope that this time he would do better.

\--

It was his first day at MIT, having graduated at 14 he was much younger than everyone around him but he had learned to ignore the looks. Glancing down at the map in his hand he found the building he was looking for and went inside.

The dorm was small and smelled but it was his own space. He set his suitcase down and got to work unpacking. 

Around 9 there was a knock at the door, when he opened it there stood a rather large frat guy. “Hey you're the Stark kid right? I came to invite you, we are having a big party, you can't miss it, lots of girls and everything.”

\-- 

The music was loud and the punch was flowing. He wasn’t used to interacting with people socially but after a few drinks it came naturally, he talked to people and schmoosed the whole place. Making out with a very hot girl on the couch and then playing a game of beer pong.

The night began to blur and he decided that he better make it back to his dorm, the told the guy currently latched to his neck this and then they were stumbling out of the frat house. He felt loose and leaned into the guy (was it Jack? Jacob maybe?) more and more. By the time they made it to his dorm he couldn't hold himself up, his head lulled to the side and he couldn’t think through the haze covering his brain.

Soon they were in his bed, whatever his name was was leaning over his body, caging him in and pulling at his clothes.

“Nnnoeee?” he slurred but the guy just kept at it, his shirt was off and then his belt was thrown across the room, his jeans were pulled down to his knees and then he was flipped over. Hot breath fanned on the back of his neck, 

“hmm, you are going to be a treat. So small, can't wait to feel you around me, make you scream with it.” he was paralyzed, unable to even close his mouth or turn his head, he felt tears in his eyes as he waited for what was next.

But it never came.

There was a crash and then the man's weight was off of him, growls and cries of pain filled his ears and then he listened as something heavy was dragged out of the room.

He relaxed in the silence and just waited, not knowing what would happen next. A few moments later soft clicks sounded in the room and the bed dipped, he was rolled over and when he saw his savior, his breath caught.

He thought that it was a dream, an imaginary friend made up by his brain to comfort a lonely child, but here he was. The large wolf that trailed after him for as long as he could remember was sitting next to him on his bed. Having just saved him again. The wolf leaned down and licked the tears off his face and then settled down next to him, his head pillowed on his chest, and he drifted off to sleep, feeling protected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did I do with Tony's POV? let me know what you think in the comments and leave kudos if you enjoy.


	10. Dormant Not Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long, I have nothing to say for myself. enjoy this rather short and guilt fueled chapter I wrote instead of doing finals.

For most of his long life Bucky had drifted, from place to place and person to person. He had never had one being he could call home. The closest he ever got to that was with his Stevie. 

Steve saved _him_ just as much as _he_ saved Steve. After being banished from his pack he was a lone wolf, and lone wolves don't last long on their own. Knowing this he wandered into the human civilization, looking for… he didn’t know what he was looking for, but when he met Stevie it all clicked into place, pack. He was looking for a pack again. 

Wolves are social animals and rely on the whole pack for not only food and shelter but love and affection. Steve was his pack; then there was Peggy and Howard, and even later there was Tony and Jarvis and Maria. But Bucky will always, ALWAYS find home in Steve.

Bucky doesn't know much about the human science that saved Steve’s life but what he does know is that wolves don't live as long as he has. They also don't have bonds with humans like he did with Steve. Able to send feelings and thoughts to each other without a word.

That bond had been silent for seventy years, when one day it came back to life with one single, all encompassing thought. 

Cold.

\--

He always was cold, since before his Ma passed it was always a fight to feel warm. Whether it was the winter leaching into his bones or the overwhelming loneliness that froze his heart, Steve was well acquainted with being cold. 

The only time he had ever been able to fight off the persistent chill was when bucky was at his side. It didn’t matter if that was on the battlefield or laying on their rickety couch, if there was Bucky there was warmth.

  
  


After the serum that warmth grew even farther, Bucky was just a thought away. Sitting in the back of his mind, providing his presence even when he was far away.

  
  


When he woke up he expected Bucky to be there, Steve could feel him. He was small and quiet and this scared Steve, he hadn’t felt this far away since Bucky was shipped out and he stayed at home. Their bond stretching and shrinking over the distance.

  
  


When he sits up on the cot he is berated with sensory input, everything screaming at him WRONG WRONG WRONG! He didn’t know how he knew but if the war taught him anything it was to trust his gut. So he ran.

\--

Bucky was in California when it happened. He was prowling the grounds of Tony's cliffside mansion that he had become fond of since his parents' accident and Jarvis’ passing. New York held too many memories, for both of them, so Bucky followed Tony to the west coast. He tracked thousands of miles through forests and planes, over mountains and across deserts to get there. Determined to remain nothing more than a figment of Tony’s memory, if not to keep his promise then to protect him from the danger he brought himself. 

  
  


He didn’t particularly like California like Tony did, it was too hot and there weren't as many forests he could hunt or run in like New York. but it was different, and different was something they could use.

  
  


Bucky nearly yelped as the sudden waves came rolling in from that place in his brain he thought dead after so long. The feeling of cold was so permeating that he began to shiver even as he laid on the golden California sun. Then the confusion hit, it grew like a creeping feeling up his spine until it became an all encompassing need to Run. Danger, Danger. RUN!

  
  


\--

  
  


Tony got the call from Nick nearly two weeks after they found him. Can you believe that! His own money funded those searches every year and he wasn't called that it was a success until two weeks after, hell the guy was already defrosted and talking and everything!

  
  


“Pep, Please, something important has come up, I can’t go and kiss the boards ass right now.” Tony threw a wrench at DUM-E when he rolled over to where the extra fire extinguishers were stashed, and continued packing without looking up. DUM-E beeped somberly and rolled over to his brothers to try and get some pity from them

“Tony, I swear if this is another attempt to make a robot that delivers coffee directly to the lab-”

“Pepper! For the last time, I was stoned! and anyway this is much more important. Now, where the hell are my good shoes!” Butterfingers trundled over with a pair or mismatching Crocs on his chassis. Tony turned and just sighed. “Where did you even get those! They aren't even from the same pair!- you know what, no. I'm not dealing with this now. I have a flight to catch and a pirate to yell at.” Tony turned around again, doing a dramatic twirl and facing Pepper on the screen once again. “Will that be all Ms. Potts?” she gave him a exasperated smile and replied. 

“ Yes, That will be all Mr. Stark.”

  
  


\--

  
  


As Tony boarded the private plane that would take him to SHIELD HQ in New York, nobody noticed the large wolf that snuck in with the luggage packed in the cargo bay.


End file.
